“Life is old there. Older than the trees, but younger than the mountains, blowin’ like the breeze.” West Virginia; the subject of John Denver’s mountain mamma, and Denver Michaels’ book (is there some sort of coincidence here?)Wild & Wonderful (and Paranormal) West Virginia is not one of the top places that comes to mind when one things of paranormal happenings, but is certainly gaining a fast reputations as such. This week’s guest on The Malliard Report, Denver Michaels, is one that is pushing that ideal along to help acknowledge the weird goings on, there in West Virginia.
The infamous Moth Man, The Trans Allegheny Asylum, lake monsters, Bigfoot, and countless other haunting and cryptid stories fill the hidden pages of the weird and unknown, but what is it about this small state that causes so much activity? Some may say it is just simply backwoods people telling stories for attention. This could be the case, but the same principle could be applied anywhere for that matter. There is one theory however that may provide a little bit of an explanation: Ley Lines. Upon reviewing Ley Line maps, it is noted that a primary Ley Line happens to run through the slap bang center of the state of West Virginia. Could this be the cause of all the activity within the state? Are Ley Lines even a credible ideology? Seems strangely coincidental does it not?
The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. One of the most renowned haunted locations within the United States (possibly even in the world) is located in the middle of this paranormal hotbed in West Virginia. The subject of countless investigations by televised crews down to your small time amateur ghost hunter, this location is an E-Ticket ride without a doubt. (And Jim decided he didn’t have the time to even stop at it. Just drove on by!) The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was a psychiatric hospital that operated from 1864 until 1994 when it was shut down due to age, and changes in personal care for mentally disabled individuals. The massive hand-cut stone structure (in fact second largest in the world, second only to the Kremlin in Moscow) was originally built to house 250 patients. As with most of these places, that limit was quickly met, and conditions almost immediately turn to less than human in as much time. Admitting the first batch of patients in 1864, the numbers quickly soared past their intended goal and records showed 717 patients by 1880. Seeing a peak of 2600 patients by the 1950s. Deteriorating conditions and changes in mental health practice eventually lead to the closure of the facility in 1994. The location is now privately owned and is utilized for tours, events, and various other functions.
A question that is posed by Denver, (and this isn’t the first time that this has come up on the show before) is how in this day and age do we still not have a legitimate form of photographic evidence of some form of cryptid? With the proliferation of civilian drones, advances in photography equipment (IR, Thermal, motion capture, etc.) and the insane drive that some people have to internet famous, how is there still no solid proof yet? Why has there not been an event put together where drone operators come together, mount thermal imaging cameras on their drones, and scour massive expanses of woodlands? Let’s make this happen!
Denver and Jim also discuss a number of other topics that are worth looking into after (or while) listening to the show. Topics such as giants, dogmen, black-eyed children, and what breakfast cereals are best. All three of Denver’s books can be found on Amazon, and you can keep up to date with his happenings at www.denvermichaels.net And of course, for all things Malliard via Twitter @Malliard.